Michael Murphy (16)

'The President's Husband' is set in the near future and starts with a bang - no less than the assassination of a just-elected president of the United States. It doesn’t let up as the consequences of that heinous act on the vice president, Gray, and his husband, David, dawn on them in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Different from what you might expect, this novel does not look at the political consequences, nor the hunt for the perpetrator. There is some initial scrambling as Gray, show more totally unprepared to be president, figures out what to do and how to deal with a situation he never wanted. Gray being who he is, he quickly finds his feet, and David supports him but doesn’t get involved.

What happens over the weeks and months that follow is nothing less than the slow and painful disintegration of a marriage as Gray and David’s partnership buckles under the pressure of living in the White House, Gray’s workaholic tendencies, and David’s unwillingness to give up his life and his job as a medical doctor. The tension is high at all times, and I was glued to the pages as the situation goes from bad to worse. David never stops loving Gray, despite what he goes through, but that love is very clearly not enough in their case. In fact it only makes everything worse, and not even small interludes of seeming recovery like their first international trip for a state visit to the United Kingdom can stop the disaster from unfolding.

David is the one who tells the story, and his perspective of things pulled me in from the very beginning. Anyone going for elected office has my condolences. In that respect, I was able to empathize completely with David. He is simply not interested in politics but wholeheartedly supports Gray’s need to make the world a better place. I admired him for his patience as he watches Gray overworking himself, and they stop eating together, then hardly even share a bed any longer. David keeps trying, but when he jumps in to help with an outbreak that threatens the nation and Gray breaks his trust in a spectacularly mind-boggling way, David reaches the end of his epic patience. He has to protect himself from further pain, and he can no longer believe a word Gray says. Even then he remains comparatively calm and rational, and that may be the only reason the door to a shared future with Gray, while being tightly closed for the moment, at least remains unlocked.

This novel floored me. The characters of Gray and David, as well as their relationship, are complex, multi-layered and fascinating. The secondary characters, both supporters and adversaries, are believable and so utterly real I was ready to strangle more than one of them. The plot is deceivingly simple, with David and Gray facing enormous pressure to the point where their marriage threatens to break, but the devil, as they say, is in the detail. In fact it is in the way David deals with the situation as much as in the actual events that cause both men such heartache. I have rarely doubted the possibility of a happy ending as much as in this case!

If you like character-driven stories, if an established relationship facing the challenge of a lifetime is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is a psychological thriller of outstanding quality and depth, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did. It’s going straight on the reread pile because I am sure I missed some of the well-designed details in my first rush to find out what’s next. ‘The President’s Husband’, for me, is one of those books that will only get better with each reading. Brilliant!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

While this sequel to ‘Little Squirrels Can Climb Tall Trees’ has some of the same humor, and it’s also about a man who finds his way in the world after being more than a little lost, the feel of it is very different. This time, it is the narrator who needs to learn about his own worth, and as Mano tells his story, a lot of his insecurities and fears are right out there. He is good friends with Kyle (from book one), and it was great to see how much Kyle has grown—to the point where he show more is now able to help Mano do the same.

Mano has been through emotional hell, and he wants a place to start over. Hawaii is exactly what he needs, a major break from Washington DC where he grew up, with a new set of friends (except for his closest buddy, Jake), and a new outlook on life and what he really wants to do with it. Some of his initial attempts to find the love he so desperately wants are less than successful, but Mano’s irrepressible spirit helps him recover and try again. I loved watching him gradually gain confidence in his personal life, but when his professional assurance grows, it all comes together.

The strength of this novel, for me, lies in the emotions Mano experiences, and how he shares them all, good and bad, as he explores the options that come his way. Having front row seats to everything he feels was tough, since he got hurt quite a bit, but then it was also good, since Mano does eventually figure out how to get what he so desperately wants: a loving relationship with a man he trusts. Their romance is slow, and that makes the eventual physical encounters all the hotter.

If you like romances between very real men who have very real issues, if the emotional side is as interesting for you to learn about as the physical aspect of a relationship, and if you’re looking for a read that is as intense and funny as it is hot and fulfilling, then you will probably like this novel. I loved it just as much as the first book in this series, and recommend you read them both t get the full picture of these wonderful characters.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

The blurb states that “Kyle's hectic work schedule and inexperience with relationships won't make for an easy romance”—and I found that to be very true. At the same time, the narrator’s style is so funny that, on the whole, this made for an extremely entertaining novel. The deeper truth of these two men finding exactly what they want and need in each other made me smile, and the way both characters learn and grow as they “drift” into a relationship without really noticing it at show more first is very cute. It is also very romantic (without being too sweet) and definitely hot!

Joseph is the narrator of the story, and his somewhat manic thought processes and hilarious comments had me laughing all the way through. He has an opinion about everything, and is very determined to help Kyle become more self-confident. But Joseph also understands why Kyle is hesitant to come out, and never pushes him into a direction he isn’t ready for. Joseph is a pretty unique guy all around—while he sounds totally focused on the physical side of things, he is actually very good at picking up Kyle’s cues regarding everything else as well.

Kyle is a contradiction in terms. Tall, professionally successful, and a great catch due to his friendly and compassionate nature, he was raised by conservative parents in a small town. To get away from the stifling atmosphere he managed to “escape” to New York City, but he hasn’t really had time to focus on anything other than becoming an ER doctor. All that changes when he runs into Joseph, and he begins a journey of discovery that has him experience new things. The scene where he stands up to his mother was amazing and brought tears to my eyes. Go Kyle!

If you like unusual romances, if you enjoy a bit (okay, a lot) of humor in your love stories, and if you’re looking for a read that is as meaningful as it is funny and hot, then you will probably like this novel. I definitely loved it and look forward to reading more from this author.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review. show less

When I realized that ‘Love in the Line of Fire” is, in essence, a sequel for ‘The President’s Husband’, I was over the moon. Yes, it’s not a direct continuation that stars the same characters, but Gray and David appear numerous times, the style of writing is very similar, and the quality of Jonah and Benji’s story is just as high as Gray and David’s. Some of the difficulties Jonah and Benji have to deal with, both individually and as a couple, are very similar: the pressure show more and stress in Jonah’s job are high, Benji has his studies to focus on. But other problems are very different: both men have to deal with the loss of men under their command and while it is a fresh issue for Jonah and in the past for Benji, the nightmares are similar enough for them to be able to support each other. The result is a beautiful love story that I found very rewarding.

Jonah, as head of the Secret Service team guarding David, the president’s husband, does much of his work in the background. Being front and center is not easy for him, and losing a man to the assassin out to kill David hits Jonah hard. But the mystery around the guy who manages to take down the assassin before more damage can be done is what really piques Jonah’s interest. At first this is mostly professional – where did Benji come from, how did he act so quickly, and how did he know what to do to expertly immobilize the shooter. Jonah is more than a little angry about the fact that this stranger is so good at what is supposed to be Jonah’s job, and Jonah is not very nice to him at first. But as more details emerge about Benji his respect grows and so does his curiosity.

Benji, after multiple tours of duty in Iraq, is ready for a quieter life. He figures he is a student now and peace will follow, despite the nightmares that still plague him. But when he sees the assassin gun for the president’s husband, he goes into autopilot and does what is needed to prevent something worse from happening. And the flak he catches from Jonah, plus the fact he appears on the news and is considered a hero run contrary to what he wants. The real shock comes when Jonah appears at his door – to apologize. Not something Benji had thought possible.

That initial discussion is the beginning of a friendship that slowly evolves into more. Neither man has much time on his hands, but Jonah’s focus on his job, on always being available, and his fear that if he lets up for so much as a second, his charge will be killed, comes close to destroying what they are building. Benji’s nightmares are not easy to deal with, but always coming second in a relationship is almost worse. Just like ‘The President’s Husband’, this novel left me breathless. Jonah and Benji are complex characters under stress, and theirs is an utterly realistic story that had me biting my nails and fearing, more than once, that the happy ending I wanted them to have was not going to materialize.

If you like character-driven stories about men who face current stress and dealing with their pasts, if a new relationship facing the pressures of everyday life – and more – is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is a psychological study of outstanding quality and depth, as well as a thriller, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It is one of the books for me that I won’t forget in a very long time.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less